Monday, May 23, 2011

Thanks, Fox News . . .

. . . we almost forgot Common was a rapper.

Given the flatness of some of his more recent work, he's probably better suited to his new career as GQ clotheshorse and silver screen eye candy, but he's certainly not as milquetoast as all the hip hop commentators reacting to Faux News attackers make him out to be. Positive, yes. Inoffensive, yes. Milquetoast, no.

Like Water for Chocolate(2000) is one of my favorites, and is perhaps more notable for being J Dilla's coming out party. If memory serves, DJ Premier shows up here as well.

Most of you here are probably already hip to this, but if you haven't heard it, give it a listen.

7 comments:

I like this album, but that blue album bugged me and I haven't given a crap since. On a tangent, a D'Angelo track shuffled up today and made me want to put on Voodoo, which I always thought shared a similar vibe to this.

Gabe - I tried so hard to like Electric Circus (I'm guessing that's the blue album you mention) & it never did grow on me. That supposedly had J Dilla all over it as well. Nothing I heard after this one was any good, and I usually did at least give them a spin or two.

If anyone else here has more Common recommendations, I'm open, but I think I've heard all of his stuff and this is the only one that really stuck with me.

I'm telling you, my Common recommendation is "Voodoo". Don't know how you feel about neo-soul and I can understand being put off by the naked video and slow jam(weakest track on album), but the album is awesome. Will anyone concur?

I only have his second album, "Resurrection," from when he was known as Common Sense. It's okay but I never really got into him despite the fact he was one of the first Chicago rappers to make it big.

And scratch that, I have the one that came out after "Resurrection" when he changed his name to just Common called "One Day it Will All Make Sense." Unfortunately I only have sides A & B of a 2 x LP set so...